One often overlooked component of an HVAC system is the air filter, but it’s surprising how important this component is to your system’s health and functionality. With a dirty air filter, your system can experience freeze-ups, and it can even make things more expensive. With all this in mind, it’s hard how do you know when to change your filter. In our guide, we at Allegiance Heating & Cooling are going to help you understand the top indicators for when to change your filter and offer HVAC maintenance plans to help you keep up.
When Your Energy Bill Spikes
When you have a dirty filter, your HVAC motor will struggle to push air through the system, thanks to the blockage from dust and detritus. Not only will this wear down some of the important moving components of your HVAC, but it’ll also make the system draw more electricity. If you notice higher energy bills when your system runs, it’s most likely time to change the filter.
When Air Quality Decreases
Unfortunately, dust that settles on the filter due to your HVAC system running doesn’t always stay on the filter. When air that moves through your HVAC dislodges this dust, you can expect it to recirculate throughout your home. This will precipitously decrease your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ). The best way to ensure that these allergens, which can include dust, dander, and building materials, don’t make their way into your air is to clean or replace the filter.
When the Filter Looks Visibly Dirty
While this might seem simple, just visually inspecting your filters is a good way to determine if they need a cleaning or replacement. We suggest turning off the HVAC system, removing the filters, and taking a look at their filter media. If you see a visible layer of dust, it’s time for a change. Dirty filters have a tendency to look gray or brown, and clean filters have a much less dull appearance. Additionally, if light easily passes through a filter, it’s clean, but if it obstructs the light, it’s time for a change.
During Times of Increasing Allergens
We always recommend the springtime for a filter change. This ensures that your HVAC system is ready for the warmer weather that comes with the summer, and a change should last the rest of the year. There are also a few other reasons why springtime is a good time for replacement.
Because It’s Allergy Season
In this part of the state, spring weather means that you’re going to experience quite a few pollen types. These include:
- Ragweed pollen
- Mold and mildew
- Bermuda grass pollen
- Fescue pollen
- Amaranth pollen
When these airborne allergens are outside, it’s critical to keep them from spreading around inside. For this reason, the heavy allergy season of early spring is a great time to change your filter. These biological allergens will quickly accumulate on your filter, and to prevent them from reaching airways, replace your filter during this time of year.
Because Pets Are Shedding
Springtime is the time of year when pets are shedding their winter coats and growing in their summer coats. As a result, there’s usually pet dander everywhere in the home. For this reason, use springtime as a time to change the filter to keep pet dander from making its way back into the air.
Because You’re Renovating
Since spring is a time of renewal, it’s also a time of year when the weather is nice enough to engage in some minor or significant renovations. During this kind of house renovation, it’s really easy for building materials and cleaning agents to make their way into the air and onto filters. This makes the period after renovations an optimal time to replace filters so that this material isn’t continuously recirculated by your HVAC system throughout your home.
It’s Best to Have HVAC Maintenance Performed in the Spring
At Allegiance Heating & Cooling, we always advise our customers that spring is the ideal time for professional AC maintenance. Not only will our team of HVAC technicians assist you with your filter, but we’ll also inspect electrical connections, repair drainage lines, and perform maintenance on your condenser. If you’re seeking a team of reliable professionals with a high level of expertise, contact us at Allegiance Heating & Cooling today!
